Breakthrough
by Kaat ShadowLover
Summary: Midnighter once said that he "beat AIDS in six weeks." How and when did this occur? Here be canon slash.


I love the Authority! Great characters, fun storylines, and they have canon slash! I'm so glad they started it up again! This chapter is being reposted to get rid of that pesky author's note that ff.net says I can't have anymore. now, the disclaimer and notes are with the first chapter. I hope to continue this soon but I'm working on about ten different projects all at the same time and only some of them are fiction, most are real life stuff.

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. The Carrier is not mine. The story however, is mine, but I'm making no money off it. Sad isn't it?

Warning: This story is rated R, mostly for adult content. It's got language, some violence, and a gay couple that unfortunately doesn't get as graphically intimate in this particular story as I'd like them to. LOL If you find homosexuality disturbing, don't read this. On the other hand, why did you even come this far? The relationship is canon!

I got the idea for this fic when I read Authority issue #18. Midnighter is giving the overdosed Doctor a transfusion of his blood. He tells Jack, "I beat AIDS in six weeks and a cold never stays in my system for more than a couple of minutes, remember?" That got me thinking, just when did he beat AIDS? When and how was he exposed? And obviously, the rest of the team knows about this so when did they learn? This story is my answer to those questions. It starts at some indeterminate point when Jenny is still alive, but most of the story occurs during Apollo and Midnighter's time on the streets, as revealed in StormWatch #4-6, the Finer World storyline.

Reviews: I love reviews. Please, if you read this story, review. Say you liked it, say you hated it, say anything you want, I welcome any and all feedback as proof that my story is not just languishing away. However, while I try to respond to all reviews when I update, flames will be ignored. If you hate it, fine, but don't say I shouldn't be writing it.

Breakthrough

By Kaat ShadowLover

{{{Sparks to Apollo and Midnighter. Get your asses up here to the briefing room. Something's on the telly you've just got to see.}}}

Apollo groaned as he stood and performed a full-body stretch. His lover, for once not wearing the mask he was so often seen in, smiled softly in appreciation from his position on the bed as he watched Apollo's muscles ripple. Then his uniform hit him directly in the face. He scrambled up, hurriedly pulling the material on over his body. He glared at his lover who was doing the same with his own costume.

Apollo leaned over and brushed a kiss against Midnighter's cheek in apology. "As much as I always want to keep you in bed with that smile on your face, if we don't get up there fast, Jenny'll probably have our balls, and there goes any fun for a while.

Midnighter nodded as he replaced the mask over his face, its familiar contours molding to him like a second skin. He was rarely without it when with anyone other than Apollo. Dressing in a hurry was nothing new to them so they both finished in less than thirty seconds. Then, synchronized, they both hurried out of the room and towards their leader and the rest of their team.

They walked into the briefing room and sat down in the chairs placed around the circular table. On the wall (or in the wall, or projected from the wall; they still weren't too sure of the Carrier's capabilities) was a television broadcast, apparently of a news conference. Their teammates nodded to them as they sat, a few looking at Midnighter curiously. Jenny didn't, but simply kept her gaze on, well they might as well call it a screen.

"This was aired about ten minutes ago. Christine sent us a copy. I wouldn't have called you up and replayed it for you except she said that, well, just watch the bloody thing."

So they watched.

***

The camera showed a press conference podium in what could be any lobby in the world. It was small though, so whoever had called the conference was probably not part of a big corporation. A woman entered the room from a side door and walked straight over to the podium. She had some notes but didn't seem nervous at all. In fact, she looked distinctly excited.

The woman was of average height, about five seven, though she wore heels to bring her up two more inches. She was Caucasian but her golden skin tone indicated that she possibly had some Native American blood, perhaps from a grandparent. Her hair was thick and long, the lush, dark brown tresses pulled back in a simple ponytail, as if she hadn't had the time or desire to do anything fancier with it. It was out of the way, and that's what seemed to be important. She wore small, stylish glasses that she was continually pushing up as they kept slipping down her nose, threatening to fall off. She was dressed in a skirt and blouse, fashionable and flattering, but not the classy look one expects of female professionals. It was more the sort of outfit one would wear at a semi-intimate dinner than to an important press conference. On top of the ensemble, she was wearing a white lab coat, open at the moment. Apollo's eyes widened when he saw her and the others were surprised to actually hear a small gasp from the Midnighter.

The woman was poised as she looked out into the many cameras and began to speak, "Thank you all for coming out here today. I know it's slightly crowded with all of you crammed into such a small space, but the facility here isn't overly spacious. However, I assure you that your trip out here will be well worth it, cramped accommodations and all.

"My name is Doctor Heather Crowe and for the past eleven years or so I have been researching the AIDS virus in hopes of finding a cure or at least some way of slowing the virus down until a more viable method became an option. I am extremely pleased to announce that, for all but the most advanced cases of this horrible disease, there is now a cure available."

The room immediately erupted into chaos as reporters threw out questions.

"Are you sure you've found a cure?"

"How expensive will it be?"

"How soon will this cure be on the market?"

"Have you successfully cured an AIDS victim?"

"Are you prepared to offer proof?"

Dr. Crowe looked out at the assembled mass and smiled gently. She made a placating gesture with her hands. "Please, if you will all be patient, I will finish my statement and then take questions. First of all, yes, several AIDS victims, all volunteers, are now cured. There is no trace of HIV anywhere in their bodies. The cure is a serum that must be administered twice a day for forty days. The process of making the serum is rather lengthy, but relatively inexpensive. I have applied for and received a federal grant to help me administer this serum to all AIDS victims free of charge, but I will gladly accept any help that is offered. The goal is, of course, to completely eradicate this horrific virus and I'm sure that most everyone on the planet agrees with me on this. Now I'll take your questions."

All the reporters started shouting questions until Dr. Crowe shook her head. "I'm afraid this won't work. I'll point to you and you can ask your question. Please be assured that I'll answer all of them, just one at a time."

Hands shot up as the reporters seemed to imitate a group of school children, but it was much more orderly than before. She started pointing out reporters, allowing them to talk and then answering them before moving on. Some questions were a bit mundane, some rather silly, and a few were actually very insightful. Dr. Crowe answered all of them with confidence, wit and, when needed, wry humor. Then the last question came, from a young reporter who had waited very patiently for her to finally get to him.

"Just how did you discover this cure, Doctor?"

Dr. Crowe chuckled slightly and smiled at the young man who stood to the side of the crowd of journalists. "Well, I doubt you want me to go over in detail what I've done for the past eleven years. I'll be releasing both my research notes and the formula for the serum as I've already patented it, but frankly, I believe they're a bit too dry and technical for most of your viewers. You want to know where I got the inspiration for the serum, right?

"Well, most discoveries don't work like that. You either find it through patient and very tedious work, repeating and revising until finally something works or you get a happy accident, like penicillin. Fortunately for you, I actually did have a bit of inspiration. You'll like this, though I can't tell the whole story. But, suffice it to say, that I had help from someone that no one knew two years ago, but now everyone knows his name. The Midnighter of the Authority."

She smiled as she wrapped up the press conference, having answered all pertinent questions and refusing to say more about her last statement. The screen went blank and every one of his teammates turned to look at the Midnighter, except for Apollo, who was holding him lightly as tears slid down the masked man's face. They were all shocked. It wasn't often they saw that much emotion out of him. Apollo held his lover to him as they heard the Midnighter whisper, "It worked. She really did it!"

Jenny lit up another fag and leaned back in her chair, puffing. Her smile was wide and sincere. "This is wonderful news! I know I'll be celebrating tonight with a few bottles of New Castle. But what I want to know is how you inspired this lady to go out and cure AIDS, Midnighter!"

Angie leaned forward, her liquid metal skin gleaming. "I'd like to know too. I mean, it's not as if you have it! She and the rest of the team chuckled at the thought of the incredibly healthy and active Midnighter ever having such a debilitating and deadly disease as AIDS.

Apollo, however, was not laughing. In fact, he was looking over at his partner, concern written all over his face. Midnighter himself was just sitting, motionless and silent. Which, by itself, was not altogether unusual, but combined with his slouching shoulders and bowed head, was something the team was quite unused to. The sounds of amusement died down into a disturbed silence.

Jack cleared his throat self-consciously and the couple both looked towards, shadows in their eyes. "You mean to sayum, wellthat isyou do have AIDS?!"

Jenny slapped her hand, the one not holding the cigarette of course, down on the table and stood up. "Damn it, Ernie!" Midnighter winced imperceptibly. "That's something that affects the whole team! You should have let us know! Taken precautions!"

Apollo sighed and brought his hand to his forehead in annoyance. Midnighter was once again looking uncomfortably down at the table, saying nothing. Apollo glanced over at him in concern, stood up and moved behind his other half, placing his hands on Midnighter's shoulders in a gesture of support. Then he answered their leader in a soft, tired voice, "But Jenny, he doesn't have AIDS." He paused, then added, "Not anymore."

If they had been on earth instead of the Carrier, chirping birds would certainly have been heard in the stunned silence that followed. Jenny sat heavily back down, took a long drag on her cigarette and pointed it at the enhanced men.

"Okay, let me get this straight. You had AIDS." Midnighter nodded, not looking at her, Apollo's arms around his torso, holding him tight. "But you don't anymore." He nodded again. "This Doctor Crowe has just created a cure for this disease, but she says that she was inspired by you, which means you were cured before she created this serum, right?" Both men nodded this time, a tiny corner of Apollo's mouth quirking up at Jenny's manner.

Sparks sighed heavily. "Then could you please tell me how in bloody fucking hell you were cured of one of the deadliest and most frightening viruses on earth before there was a cure for it?!"

Midnighter's eyes grew brighter as Jenny's tirade drew him up out of his funk. After all, despite what memories he had been thinking of, he had many that were worse, and this was time for celebration, not brooding. The disease that had caused so much anguish both to the world and to he and Apollo themselves had finally been defeated. And that defeat was partially due to him, the Midnighter. A small smile, not quite a smirk, played across his lips. "Simple enough, Jenny. I had AIDS but my body cured itself, and Dr. Crowe was there when it happened."

Everyone just stared at their masked teammate. The Authority were world-changing superheroes who lived in an extradimensional, semi-sentient alien spacecraft powered by a caged baby universe, they had gone up against an invading parallel earth and they included in their ranks the electrical Spirit of the Twentieth Century, a woman who had exchanged her blood for nine pints of liquid machinery, a man who could communicate with cities, and a planetary level magician, but some things still surprised them, which was good, because it meant they had not become jaded to the wonders and horrors that they saw on an almost daily basis. This surprised them. Midnighter's abilities were known to them. The theta-level computer in his head, his remarkable physical abilities in a fight, but this–that his body had, apparently on its own, conquered a virus that had, until now, defied any and all attempts to corral it–that shocked them speechless.

It was the Doctor who managed to find his voice first. Typically, and perhaps predictably, his comment completely understated everything that had just happened. He simply asked, "So what happened?" in a bored-sounding voice. Midnighter's eyes widened at the matter-of-fact question and he began laughing. He laughed so hard that his shoulders shook. Apollo watched his lover with a soft, happy smile. Midnighter calmed down enough to suggest that they take the discussion "somewhere more comfortable."

Somehow, the team ended up in one of the many observation rooms scattered around the Carrier. This one was furnished with lots of cozy, though strangely designed, chairs and couches. Apollo stretched out on one of the couches, Midnight between his legs, leaning against his chest. Jenny was curled up a small chair, working on another smoke. The Doctor was across the room from her, possibly deliberately, while Angie and Jack were sitting next to each other on a second couch. Shen stayed standing, walking around the room a bit as she listened.

When everyone was settled and looking at them expectantly, Midnighter nodded, "Right, here's what happened. This was when Apollo and I were working underground in the U.S. before Bendix died and StormWatch found us"


End file.
